Strippable coatings



United States Patent Office 3,442,833 STRIPPABLE COATINGS Gerald Dougherty, Wilmington, and Lewis W. Hall, Jr.,

Claymont, Del., assignors to Avisun Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Filed May 17, 1966, Ser. No. 550,650 Int. Cl. (108d 5/20; C08f 29/10; C0811 21/08 U.S. Cl. 260-17 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A strippable coating composition consisting of from 20 to 80 wt. percent cellulose acetate butyrate and 20 to 80 wt. percent atactic propylene-ethylene block copolymer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cellulose acetate butyrate is extensively employed as a strippable or peelable plastic coating. Cellulose acetate butyrate is a thermoplastic material which is usually applied as a hot melt, thus avoiding problems with es caping solvents, and provides a tough, water and grease resistant coating. These coatings are used to protect new metal parts and equipment in storage and transit and in various skin and blister packaging applications. Because of the hard smooth surface of cellulose acetate butyrate coatings, these coatings are not suitable for printing or or writing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It has been found that the addition of atactic propyleneethylene copolymers to cellulose acetate butyrate produces a clear film which has greater flexibility and resili ence than celulose acetate butyrate and provides strippable coatings which are water and grease resistant and retain enough of the mechanical properties of cellulose acetate butyrate to adequately protect items coated therewith.

The compositions of the present invention are thermoplastic and may be applied to the items to be coated as hot melts thus avoiding the use of solvents and the problems inherent therein. In addition the coatings of the invention can be printed or written upon.

The atactic propylene-ethylene copolymer is a by product of the production of crystalline propylene-ethylene sequential block copolymer or propylene-ethylene terminal block copolymer. Such crystalline polymers can be prepared by initially contacting a first feed which can be propylene alone or propylene in admixture with a small quantity of ethylene, in solution in an inert hydrocarbon solvent with a catalyst system consisting of titanium trichloride, a dialkyl aluminum halide, and a glycol ether. After the polymerization has proceeded for a desired length of time, passage of the first feed to the re actor is discontinued, and a second feed, which may be ethylene, or a mixture of ethylene and propylene richer in ethylene than the first feed stream, is passed to the reactor, and polymerization is continued for a second period of time, after which the reaction is stopped by the addition of a polar material, such as an alcohol. Proceeding in this manner, a two-segment block polymer is produced, the first segment of which is polypropylene or a copolymer rich in propylene, and the second segment of which is polyethylene, or a copolymer richer in ethylene than the first segment. Alternatively, the two feeds may be alternated two or more times, yielding a polymer having three or more segments of varying ethylene content. Such a process is described in Belgian Patent 538,- 7 82, and British Patent 994,416.

In carrying out block polymerization, the catalyst components are generally dissolved or suspended in an inert 3,442,833 Patented May 6, 1969 hydrocarbon solvent such as hexane, heptane, or octane, or mixtures thereof, in an appropriate reaction vessel equipped with means to agitate the contents thereof, in the absence of oxygen or moisture. The catalyst containing solvent is then usually brought to a temperature in the range of 25 C. to 150 C., preferably 60 C. to C., and the olefin or mixture of olefins to be polymerized is then pressured into the reactor. Moderately elevated pressures, as from 20 p.s.i.g., to 500 p.s.i.g. are used in order to increase the amount of olefin dissolved in the solvent, and thus speed the reaction.

The aluminum component of the catalyst system may be any dialkyl aluminum halide, such as diethyl aluminum chloride, dipropyl aluminum chloride, dibutyl aluminum chloride or the corresponding bromine or iodine analogues, as well as dialkyl aluminum halides the ethyl radicals of which contain greater numbers of carbon atoms than those illustrated above. The glycol ether component of the catalyst may be any glycol ether, such as ethylene glycol dimethyl or diethyl ether, and corresponding diethers of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, or higher glycols.

In one known process for producing crystalline propylene-ethylene copolymers, the atactic (essentially noncrystalline) propylene-ethylene copolymer is formed during the stereo specific polymerization of propylene and ethylene. The atactic propylene-ethylene copolymer usually represents from about 5-15 wt. percent of the polymerization product, the remainder by an essentially propylene-ethylene copolymer.

One method of producing the atactic propylene-ethylene block copolymers of the present invention comprises charging to a SO-gallon autoclave having an agitator for mixing disposed therein and a means for controlling heat transfer such as a steam jacket, 25 gallons of an inert liquid hydrocarbon containing 10 to p.p.m. hydrogen and having dispersed therein a coordinate complex catalyst mixture. The copolymer is made in two stages during the first of which the autoclave is maintained at a temperature in the range of l00l70 F. Pressure is maintained in the autoclave in the range of 80-120 p.s.i.g. by feeding propylene monomer the introduction of which initiates polymerization of the first segment of the copolymer molecule. When the desired amount of propylene monomer is polymerized the propylene feed is discontinued and the pressure is then maintained by introduction of ethylene or a mixture of propylene and ethylene monomer in a predetermined molar ratio according to the type of copolymer desired. The introduction of the monomer mix initiates the second phase of the copolymer polymerization. The second or final phase of the copolymer polymerization is terminated when the desired amount of monomer mix has been fed to the autoclave to obtain terminal block copolymer or the steps repeated to produce a sequential block copolymer. The reaction is thereafter killed by introducing methanol into the hot reaction mixture in sufficient quantities to deactivate the catalyst therein. The deactivated mixture is subsequently withdrawn from the autoclave and the solid or isotactic copolymer (essentially crystalline) product is separated from the polymerization slurry by filtering. The filtrate from this separation containing the atactic propylene-ethylene copolymer (essentially non crystalline) in solution is then subject to flash evaporation or steam stripping whereby a solid atactic propyleneethylene block copolymer is recovered from the polymerization solvent.

As previously stated the copolymer product which forms a part of the present invention is the solid predominantly amorphous heptane soluble fraction recovered from a multi-stage polymerization of propylene and ethylene using a stereospecific catalyst system as hereinabove described. The copolymer product is normally referred to as atactic propylene-ethylene block copolymer.

The solid atactic propylene-ethylene copolymers suitable for the compositions of the invention have a molecwill be adhered to, and the copolymer of the present invention is termed atactic propylene-ethylene block copolymer.

Cellulose acetate butyrate is the mixed ester of cellulose and acetic and butyric acids. Generally the mixed esters ular weight in the range of l5,000-225,000 (viscosity 5 are produced by the reaction of cellulose with a mixture average). The atactic propylene-ethylene copolymer is solof the acetic anhydride and the acet1c acid and butyr c uble in boiling pentane, hexane, heptane, and other hydroanhydride and butyric acid in the presence of a sulfuric carbons. The atactic propylene-ethylene copolymers emacid catalyst. Such preparations are well known and are ployed in the present invention are predominantly polyfully disclosed in Alexander Colloid Chemistry" Rheinpropylene with small amounts of ethylene 0.5 to 49 wt. hold, New York, 1946, volume VI, pp. 917-925 (Malm, percent in the propylene polymer chain. The present co- C. J., Fordyce, C. R.). polymers are readily distinguished from amorphous ethyl- Cellulose acetate butyrate employed in the present inene-propylene copolymers which usually have high polyvention contains 5-30 weight percent acetate groups and ethylene content. The atactic propylene-ethylene copoly- 16-50 Weight Percent butyrate groups ahdhas lheltlhg mer is essentially amorphous copolymer with minor Point in the Tange of and Vlscoslty In the amounts of stereoblock copolymer and isotactic corange of wilds The P polymeh ticular cellulose acetate butyrate employed in the ex- The atactic propyleneethylene bl k copolymers amples of the present invention conta n about 6 weight ployed in the examples is terminal block and has an 20 Percent acfitate groups ahdhhollt 48 Weight Percent y average molecular weight of about 110,000, a capillary a e groups and has a melting point of about 170 C. and viscosity at 230 C. oat about 75,000 centipoise, about Viscosity of about 5 Secondscrystallinity and a ring and ball softening point of The admixture is made by thoroughly mixing the in- 157 C. gredients at a temperature in the range of 200 F. to Atactic polymers of the yp p y herein are 25 400 F. and preferably 300 F. to 350 F. One convenient ther characterized in La Chemica e FIndustria 39, No. 4, th d i by use f a he t d Sigma blad mixer, pp. 275-283 (1957) and Journal of Applied Polyme For application to a surface, the adhesive is heated to Science, vol. IV, No. 11, pag s 2 9 4 96 a temperature in the range of 250 F. to 400 F., then As reported in La, Chemica e FIndustria 39, No. 4, applied to the surfaces which are to be coated in any 275-283 (1957) the insoluble polymer product of the suitahle above processes are of a high molecular weight and of 111table relatlve amounts of mgredlehts are 20-80 high crystallinity. The crystallinity of such polymers is Welght percent of the cellulose acetate butyrate and 20-80 due to their exceptionally regular structure, characterized Weight Parcellt 0f the atactic Propylene-ethylene by the fact that their linear chains, at least over long seg- P l ments, are composed of regular sequences of monomer I11 addltlon t0 the atactlc Propylene-ethylene p yunits having tertiary carbon atoms with th m steric mers and the cellulose acetate butyrate the compositions configuration. The chains having such steric structure h y cohttfih Such functional ingredients as fillers, P were given the name isotactic and the polymers cizers, antioxidants, solvents, thinners, coloring agents and taining them are called isotactic. Alternately the soluble the 11146- fraction of the polymer product produced is found to The examples presented herein are intended to be contain only a small fraction of stereo-regular polymers merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope and is generally referred to as the atactic fraction. of the claims. Certain ranges of components have been It has further been reported in the Journal of Applied specified and it is to be understood that those of skill in Polymer Science, vol. IV, No. 11, pp. 219-224 (1960) the art will be able to select the respective proportion that the heptane soluble polymer fractions of the profrom each range so as to produce compositions within pylene polymerization which has previously been referred the spirit and scope of the invention. The examples proto as the atactic fraction contained 17-49% isotactic vide the guidelines to indicate to those of skill in the art olyme as measured by solubility t t the means and manner of component selection and com- In general it has been reported that the heptane soluble 5 Poundlngpropylene polymer fraction often referred to as the atactic Examples fractlon 1s composed of three p y e yp ecwrding The compositions were prepared as indicated above. to molecular Structure, namely lsotactlc 1S defined Examples 4 and 5 are controls. After the compositions above; amorphous P yp py Which Is qefined as a were prepared, a coating of each was applied to paper Polymer Of a hoh-stefeol'egular Structure, Whlch Ph y cards by heating the compositions to about 350 F. and is not crystallizable and stereoblock polymer WhlCh has calendering them over one side of the paper cards. The heel} descllhed'as a gemrahy 1111631 alphaolefin P y coatings were allowed to cool to ambient temperature. having crystallizable segments of stereoregular structure The coatings were tested by printing on the surface, flexand non-crystallizable segmerits of 1 rregular structure In ing and creasing the cards and coatings, and peeling the the same molecule. lt is this atactic fraetwn which is coatings from the cards. The results are set out in the usable in the compositions of the present 1nvent1on. table below. Observations were made on the clarity of For the purposes of the present invention the above the coatings and the tendency of the stripped coatings definition of atact1c polypropylene as being synonomous to elongate. The coatings employed in the examples were with the heptane soluble fraction of propylene polymer about 2-20 mils in thickness.

Example 1 2 3 4 5 Compositions:

I) Cellulose acetate butyrate,

wt. percent... 50 mn (II) Atactic propylene-eth- Test: ylene copolymer, wt. percent. 7 50 25 100,

Good....-.. Good Good Good Good. Y es- Yes No ggtsad goagd (\lfggd Poor Good. on) Elongation. Fair-IIIII Lmia::::::: LmiIIIIIII N32123:: tfiiitiettii'.

The coatings according to the' invention are clear up to about 15/1000 (15 mils) of an inch thickness where slight clouding begins to be noticeable. All of the coatings adhered well to the substrate. The coating of Example 4 cracked on being creased whereas the coatings on the other examples could be creased several times before cracking. All of the coatings except Example 5 possessed no tack at ambient temperatures. All of the coatings except Example 5 were readily removed without causing any tearing of the substrate. On attempting to peel the composition in Example 5, there is no failure in the substrate; however, there is considerable stringing from the coating to the substrate and the coating tends to break apart and not peel off as a single piece. The coatings were tested for printability by writing on them with a ball point pen. Examples 1-3 were easily Written on and once the solvent had evaporated from the ink the markings were permanent. Example 4 could not be written on satisfactorily. Example 5 tears when sufficient pressure to write is applied. Examples 1-3 appear to have essentially the same tensile strength as Example 4 but exhibit slight elongation when pulled. Example 5 exhibits considerable elongation and is easily pulled apart by hand.

The cellulose acetate butyrate and atactic propyleneethylene copolymer are compatible within the ranges shown and produce homogeneous mixtures that do not separate on standing hot.

In addition to the packaging, the compositions of the present invention are also useful for coating wire, metal, cable, fabric, leather and plastic.

The invention claimed is:

1. A strippable coating composition consisting essentially of 20 to wt. percent cellulose acetate butyrate and 20 to 80 wt. percent atactic propylene-ethylene block copolymer.

2. A strippable coating composition according to claim 1 wherein the atactic propylene-ethylene block copolymer has a molecular weight in the range of 15,000 to 225,000.

3. A strippable coating composition according to claim 2 wherein the cellulose acetate butyrate contains 5 to 30 wt. percent acetate groups, 16 to 50 wt. percent butyrate groups and has a melting point in the range of to 240 C.

4. A strippable coating composition according to claim 3 wherein the atactic propylene-ethylene block copolymer is a terminal block copolymer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,486,012 10/1949 Ernst 106-190 3,066,033 11/1962 Clark 106l69 3,329,741 7/1967 Shrage et al. 360878 WILLIAM H. SHORT, Primary Examiner.

E. NIELSEN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

Patent No. 3, i l-2, 833 Dated 5/ 9 Inventofls) G rald Dougherigy and Lewis W. Hall, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified paterit and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

' Column 1, line 28, delete "or".

Column 2, line 30, before "propylene" insert crystalline Column 5, line 2, l5 mils) should be mils) line 28, delete "the" in its first occurrence in that line.

SIGNED AND SEALED OCT 21 I969 (SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. 'S'Cil-TUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Ir.

Gonmissioner of Patents Atmting Officer 

